Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said the government is committed to ensuring that every citizen in the national capital receives high-quality, affordable, and timely healthcare.
Gupta said the objective of the Delhi government is to ensure that no one is deprived of proper treatment, as a healthy national capital is the foundation of a ‘Viksit Delhi.’
The CM assured that the government is working 24×7 with full dedication to achieve this goal and is rapidly constructing new hospitals and modernising existing health institutions on a war footing.
Gupta chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials of the Health & Family Welfare Department and the Public Works Department (PWD) at the Delhi Secretariat on Thursday to assess the current status of healthcare services in the city. She also reviewed the ongoing schemes and infrastructure projects in this regard.
The meeting focused on the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the Vaya Vandana Health Scheme, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and various hospital infrastructure projects.
Providing further details, Gupta stated that under the PMJAY, 2,95,237 beneficiaries have already been registered, and they are entitled to receive free medical treatment up to Rs 10 lakh.
She further stated that 1,23,242 senior citizens have also been registered under the PM Vaya Vandana Yojana, and instructions have been given to ensure the swift registration of the remaining eligible beneficiaries.
The CM added that the increasing participation of citizens in these schemes reflects the effective ground-level reach and impact of the government’s welfare programmes.
She said that around 100 hospitals in Delhi are empanelled under these schemes, and in case beneficiaries require treatment for a specific illness outside Delhi, they can avail of free treatment at any empanelled hospital across the country.
The CM also informed that construction work is underway on new hospital projects and upgrades, and all concerned agencies have been instructed to complete the work as soon as possible to ensure timely public access to modern healthcare facilities.
She also directed that all hospitals under construction, along with those being upgraded, must adhere strictly to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS).
On the upcoming Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the CM shared that under the Ayushman Bharat Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Delhi government is in the process of establishing 1,139 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the city.
Approximately 15 such centres will be opened in each assembly constituency, where citizens will have access to free basic healthcare services, she added.
As per the CM, these centres will provide health check-ups, primary treatments, essential medicines, and host health awareness programmes.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed the progress of the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs being set up in Delhi’s 70 assembly constituencies.
“Our government aims to provide proper healthcare to every citizen in Delhi and ensure they receive quality care. We want our government hospitals to provide services better than private institutions. Strengthening and humanising Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure is a decisive step in this direction,” Gupta affirmed.